Muskegon, Mich. (February 19, 2014) – Mercy Health Muskegon announced today that it is pursuing approval for a new $220 million medical center in Muskegon on the current Mercy Campus at 1500 E. Sherman. Initial plans presented in spring 2013 for a $96.7 million expansion and relocation of many acute care services to the Mercy Campus have expanded into a proposed new nine-story, state-of-the-art medical center to allow for greater efficiencies and better patient care.

The project requires review and approval from the local board of trustees, Michigan Department of Public Health’s certificate of need (CON) commission and the CHE Trinity Health board (Mercy Health is a regional health ministry of Livonia, Mich.-based CHE Trinity Health). These reviews are expected to be complete by the fall of 2014.

The project will bring all Muskegon-area inpatient services together at a central location on the Mercy Campus and will offer single-occupancy inpatient rooms. Major changes from the plan announced last year include a greater focus on outpatient services and an entirely new state-of-the-art emergency department to optimize patient experience and patient flow.

“The time has come to take a big, transformational step to bring together the acute care services of our three Muskegon hospitals into one new medical center,” said President Greg Loomis. “Over the past year, Mercy Health Muskegon has taken an extraordinary journey to thoughtfully plan and develop an exceptional facility that will serve not only Muskegon and the Lakeshore, but the entire region.”

For the past eight months, Mercy Health leaders, staff and patients have been executing a planning and process excellence model called True North or Hoshin Kanri to envision a better future state for patients.

The proposed results of this effort include:

A New Medical Center: Construction of a new, nine-story inpatient tower and new emergency department on the southwest section of the existing Mercy Campus to accommodate all outpatient procedures, labor and delivery, pediatrics, surgery, medical/surgical admissions, and a new emergency department.

A Vibrant Outpatient Center at the Hackley Campus: Services at the Hackley Campus will include urgent care in the current emergency department and inpatient behavioral health, as well as the Hackley Professional medical office building which houses a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), physician offices, administrative space, diagnostics, and other support services.

Departure from the General Campus: The Mercy Health General Campus building will be sold, repurposed or demolished.

Mercy Health Muskegon is one of the first hospitals in the country to commit to the True North process at such a comprehensive level for strategic planning and management. With roots in the Lean quality philosophy well known in manufacturing and other industries, True North provides a method for creating comprehensive communication and flow between all staff, keeping everyone focused on meeting the needs of the patient.

“Our proposed new medical center will create a place where our community members, their children and grandchildren, will be able to come for remarkable health care for years to come. Through this process, we have recommitted to creating superior health care value as defined by our patients,” said Loomis.

If approved, the new medical center completion date is estimated for 2018 or 2019.

Mercy Health

Mercy Health is a multi-campus health care system dedicated to providing highly personalized care, excellent access to primary care providers and specialists and a more informed patient experience. Mercy Health serves West Michigan and the lakeshore with five hospital campuses, 58 physician offices, more than 1,300 medical staff physicians, more than 800 hospital beds and 7,200 associates, and hospice, home health and long term care service offerings. Mercy Health Physician Partners, our multi-specialty physician network, employs a total of 491 Physicians and Advanced Practice Professionals in Grand Rapids, Muskegon and the lakeshore. The system includes leading teaching hospitals, and renowned clinical leadership in oncology, cardiology, orthopedics, and neurology. Mercy Health Saint Mary’s is a Magnet®-recognized hospital. Mercy Health was named in West Michigan’s 2013 101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For™ by The Michigan Business & Professional Association (MBPA).

Mercy Health is a regional health ministry of Livonia, Mich.-based CHE Trinity Health, one of the largest multi-institutional Catholic health care delivery systems in the nation. It serves people and communities in 21 states from coast to coast with 82 hospitals, 89 continuing care facilities and home health and hospice programs that provide nearly 2.8 million visits annually. Visit us at MercyHealth.com and MercyHealthPhysicianPartners.com and find us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/WeAreMercyHealth.